adam austen: Trudeau's Liberals had faced pressure to revoke the honour, but had refused to say whether they would consider such a step.A spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said Thursday that the government made up its mind to support the idea in response to Suu Kyi's silence on the crimes in Myanmar, according to Vancouver Courier. Our government supported this motion in response to her continued failure to speak out against the genocide of the Rohingya, a crime being committed by the military with which she shares power, Adam Austen wrote in an emailed statement. The vote, on a Bloc Quebecois motion, followed Thursday's question period and came one day after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it was up to Parliament to decide whether to strip the honour given to Suu Kyi in 2007.article continues below Trending Stories Vancouver photographer captures 'magical' time-lapse video of moon rising Amanda Tapping on coping with miscarriage Ramada Hotel to serve as temporary social housing Vancouver filmmaker hunts elusive Grizzly Bryant Big Country' Reeves The once-celebrated Burmese reformer has been widely criticized for not speaking out against the atrocities being committed against her country's Rohingya people. We will continue to support the Rohingya people through humanitarian assistance, targeted sanctions against Myanmar's generals and by pushing for accountability for those responsible through an appropriate international body. There is no formal procedure required for making someone an honorary citizen it is a purely political decision but precedent has been set for a joint resolution to be passed by the House of Commons and Senate in order to grant someone the honour. The Opposition Conservatives called the vote to remove her citizenship a step in the right direction, but pressed the Liberals to do more for the Rohingya people than make a symbolic gesture. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

accountability body: Unlike the fact-finding mission, the mechanism has securing evidence that could be used in pursuing criminal indictments as its main purpose, according to CTV. The resolution establishing the new team was presented jointly by the European Union, led by Austria, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, led by Pakistan. The 47-member Human Rights Council voted 35-3 to create an independent mechanism -- in essence, an accountability body -- to complement a fact-finding mission the council previously authorized to help document alleged rights violations in Myanmar. China, Burundi and the Philippines opposed the measure. The accountability body's work, which could begin in coming months, is expected to cover a massive security crackdown that began in August 2017. Seven countries abstained from the vote. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

law: A general view of the Supreme court of India is pictured in New Delhi on September 27, according to Toronto Star. Adultery is no longer a crime, India's top court ruled Thursday, declaring a colonial-era law that punished the offence with jail time unconstitutional and discriminatory against women. In the latest decision Thursday, Chief Justice Dipak Misra and the rest of the five-member court struck down a 158-year-old law that treated adultery in certain cases as a criminal offence punishable by up to five years in prison. The more than century-old law prescribed that any man who slept with a married woman without her husband's permission had committed adultery, a crime carrying a five-year prison term in the conservative country. Adultery can still be grounds for divorce in India, the verdict said, but a criminal penalty violated women's protection to equal rights under the law. MONEY SHARMA / AFP/GETTY IMAGES The court called the law, which did not allow wives to prosecute adulterous husbands, unconstitutional and noted that a husband is not the master of woman. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

apec summit: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shakes hands with Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi at the APEC Summit in Vietnam in 2017, according to Toronto Star. Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILE PHOTO Bloc Qu b cois MP Gabriel Ste-Marie said that opening prompted him Thursday to ask a question to test the government's resolve and then to rise immediately after question period to ask the Speaker to canvas if there was unanimous consent to immediately revoke the honour, which was granted in 2007. The historic motion was unexpected but foreseeable, after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said earlier this week that the honour Parliament had bestowed upon Suu Kyi could be reconsidered. Back then, Suu Kyi was seen as the courageous leader of her country's opposition forces, and had spent most of two decades under some form of house arrest. She is widely viewed as having failed to use her moral power and democratic mandate to rein in the actions of the country's military, which has attacked ethnic Rohingya in villages near the country's border with Bangladesh. Although her party won elections after Burma made democratic reforms, Suu Kyi is constitutionally barred from the top leadership post because her children were born in the U.K. In 2016, she became state counsellor, the country's minister of foreign affairs. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

kavanaugh: The Washington Post broke the story about the first woman, Christine Blasey Ford, reporting Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed on her back and groped her over her clothes, grinding his body against hers and clumsily attempting to pull off her one-piece bathing suit and the clothing she wore over it, according to Rabble. When she tried to scream, she said, he put his hand over her mouth. 'I thought he might inadvertently kill me,' said Ford. To date, three women have made serious allegations about abusive and potentially criminal behaviour by Kavanaugh. This week, Deborah Ramirez described the abuse she suffered at a dormitory room at Yale University, where fellow student Brett Kavanaugh exposed himself to her while she was drunk at a party. Julie Swetnick came forward next, saying that she was drugged and gang raped at a party where Brett Kavanaugh was present. I remember a penis being in front of my face, she told The New Yorker magazine, and that she next saw Kavanaugh pulling up his pants. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

situation textbook: Suu Kyi was honoured by Canada in 2012 for her decades-long fight for democracy in Myanmar, according to CTV. She took the nation's highest office in 2016, although much of the country's power has remained with the military. In passing the motion from Bloc Quebecois MP Gabriel Ste-Marie, the House of Commons no longer recognizes the title, which has only ever been bestowed upon six people. Despite international pressure, Suu Kyi has repeatedly failed to condemn atrocities committed by the military against the Rohingya Muslim population in Rakhine state. The UN has called the situation textbook ethnic cleansing. At least 10,000 Rohingya Muslims have been killed -- a conservative estimate, according to the United Nations -- while more than 700,000 have been forced to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

zangbeto: A ball of fire rose as it went up in flames, according to CTV. Some Nigerians frustrated by crime and corruption have suggested that reviving such traditions could be a deterrent. As men and women in white ceremonial clothing sang and danced to the sound of heavy drums, adherents doused a cone-shaped Zangbeto with kerosene. The performance over the weekend helped to create fear and reverence, the chairman of the festival's organizing committee, Sehude Adeyinka Amosu, told The Associated Press. The people needed to see that the Zangbeto is not just a toy. Every religion has some hold on the people, he said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

details wednesday: Brais issued an apology through the party after audio of the August meeting in Montreal was obtained by Montreal's La Presse, which published details Wednesday, according to National Observer. She said she had gone too far. In a newly emerged recording, Isabelle Brais, Legault's wife, can be heard telling a party meeting last month that while Trudeau's father, former prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was brilliant, his son is not. ; Brais, a fixture by Legault's side during the election campaign, described the younger Trudeau as incompetent and suggested a Coalition government could have strained ties with his federal government. Campaigning in Tadoussac, Que., Legault declined to say whether he endorses his wife's comments about the prime minister. I think we should turn the page. My wife, who I've been with for 28 years, is an independent woman who has her opinions, who is spontaneous, who apologized, Legault told reporters. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

muslim communities: And almost like what we see in modern theatre they would surround him and he would share, usually through poetry, stories of the past, stories of glory, stories of tragedy, according to National Observer. The Silk Road Theatre Company, launched in Montreal, has a mandate to share diverse narratives from within Muslim communities. If a poet was travelling, people used to keep the poet and say, share with us your gift, share with us your stories, said playwright Wajahat Ali. First up Wajahat Ali's The Domestic Crusaders Silk Road Canada mtltheatre by Cecilia keating in Nat Observer Ali mused about Muslim theatre traditions in an interview just two days before the Montreal premiere Thursday of his acclaimed play,The Domestic Crusaders. The company is based in Montreal and has a mandate to share diverse narratives from within Muslim communities. It is the inaugural show for Canada's first professional Muslim theatre company, the Silk Road Theatre Company. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

city hall: Free. nbto, according to NOW Magazine. There's a diversity of artistic expression on display at Nuit Blanche, and this year's expansion to Scarborough means there's also a diversity of expression within one of its disciplines music. NUIT BLANCHE all over town, Saturday September 29 sundown to sunrise. From a resurrection of the iconic Toronto club the Twilight Zone to a discussion of suburban hip-hop, plus audio-visual performances, sound art installations and more DJs than you can count on two hands, there's lots for you to take in with your ears. Down At The Twilight Zone City Hall Loading Dock 100 Queen West accessed from the west side of City Hall at the intersection of Chestnut and Armoury For one night only, T.O.'s famed Twilight Zone club is back, thanks to the Dream Time exhibition. Here are the highlights. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

time-lapse video: From competitors on the ice to partners for life, tweeted the Canadian Olympic Committee, according to Vancouver Courier. Apps and Duggan have been part of easily the top rivalry in their sport. Just ask former Canadian women's hockey team forward Gillian Apps and American forward Meghan Duggan, who married this past weekend in Pownal, Maine.article continues below Trending Stories Vancouver photographer captures 'magical' time-lapse video of moon rising Amanda Tapping on coping with miscarriage Ramada Hotel to serve as temporary social housing Vancouver filmmaker hunts elusive Grizzly Bryant Big Country' Reeves True love overcomes even the largest of rivalries, the U.S. Olympic Committee tweeted with a picture of the happy couple. Canada and the U.S., have squared off in five of six Olympic finals since the sport joined the Winter Games program in 1998. Apps also won gold with Canada in 2006. Apps, a 34-year-old from Toronto, was part of Canadian teams that beat Duggan's Americans for Olympic gold in 2010 and 2014. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ukraine-born oberlander: There is no doubt that to have done so would have resulted in the rejection of his citizenship application, according to Vancouver Courier. The government maintains the Ukraine-born Oberlander, 94, of Waterloo, Ont., lied about his three-year membership in Einsatzkommando 10a, known as Ek 10a. In a ruling that again paves the way to deport Helmut Oberlander, Judge Michael Phelan found the government's decision more than a year ago to have been justified and transparent.article continues below Trending Stories Vancouver photographer captures 'magical' time-lapse video of moon rising Amanda Tapping on coping with miscarriage Ramada Hotel to serve as temporary social housing'Crazy ride home' Woman yells death threats in West Vancouver bus fight It is uncontested that Oberlander obtained his Canadian citizenship by false representation or by knowingly concealing material circumstances by failing to disclose involvement in the SS at the time of his immigration screening, Phelan wrote. The Second World War Nazi death squad, which operated behind the German army's front line in eastern Europe, was responsible for killing close to 100,000 people, most Jewish. He said he served as an interpreter from 1941 to 1943, performed only mundane duties, and never took part in any killings. In his defence, Oberlander argued he was conscripted as a 17-year-old and faced execution for desertion. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

brand: Armed with 112 million in new financing to develop new brands, the company now is investigating what other sleepy products might be ripe for disruption, according to CTV. Our vision is to build a next-generation consumer brand company, said Jeff Raider, who recently took on the role of CEO of Harry's Labs, overseeing the development of new brands. The startup, which took on razor giants Gillette and Schick with its direct-to-consumer subscription model, has since expanded into traditional retail and launched a line of body care products. It might be better products, a better experience getting the products or a brand that appeals to who they want to be as people. Insurgent brands are shaking up the way people buy everything from mattresses to prescription acne remedies, eating into the market share of big consumer product companies and leaving them scrambling to respond. There's a reason why Harry's investors are betting that reinventing the razor was no flash-in-the-pan idea. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

days meeting: While not a formal part of the United Nations General Assembly agenda, the state of the ongoing NAFTA renegotiation talks remained an undercurrent for the Canadian delegation, according to CTV. Both Trump and Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland's counterpart U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer spoke at, and on the sidelines of the UN, about why a deal remains unmade and their plans to go ahead with the Mexico bilateral trade pact if they can't come to an agreement with Canada soon. After spending the last few days meeting with other world leaders, speaking about Canada's contributions globally, and campaigning for a seat on the UN Security Council, the ongoing uncertainty over NAFTA and tensions between Trudeau and U.S. President Donald Trump persisted. Speaking to this, Trudeau said that Canada will keep working as long as it takes to get the right deal for Canada, but that doing so involves feeling confident about the path forward as we move forward, if we do, on a NAFTA 2.0. When Trudeau approached Trump who appeared to be reading the toast he was about to give at the luncheon the pair exchanged a quick handshake but Trump did not stand up. An interaction between Trudeau and Trump on Tuesday appeared emblematic of the two countries' ongoing tension. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

health care: Increased risk of disease and reduced access to health care contributed to others, it said, according to Toronto Star. A government soldier walks to his post in August 2017 to patrol the border in northern Upper Nile state, South Sudan. The report by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine estimates that violent injuries caused about half of those 382,900 deaths. The civil war's death toll has long been unknown, with estimates in the tens of thousands. To our knowledge this is the first comprehensive estimate of how many people have died because of the war, Francesco Checchi, a lead investigator on the study, told The Associated Press. Sam Mednick / The Associated Press The civil war's death toll has long been unknown, with estimates in the tens of thousands. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

internment camps: His Chinese Uighur wife, Malika Mamiti, was sent to a political indoctrination camp after returning to China's far west Xinjiang region in May 2017, Baig said, according to CTV. The internment camps, which have alarmed a United Nations panel and the U.S. government, are estimated to hold around 1 million Uighurs and other Muslim minorities. I am very, very unhappy, said Mirza Imran Baig, a Pakistani cosmetics trader. China denies their existence and maintains that current security measures are necessary to combat religious extremism in a region that has previously experienced ethnic unrest. There are at least 38 Pakistani men whose mostly Uighur Chinese wives are detained or unable to leave Xinjiang, according to Mian Shahid Ilyas, a Lahore-based businessman. Xinjiang's security drive has swept up and separated families and also created friction with neighbouring Kazakhstan over the internment of ethnic Kazakh Chinese nationals and even Kazakh citizens. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

job ad: A report being released Wednesday by U of T's International Human Rights Program and Citizen Lab recommends Ottawa establish an independent, arms-length oversight body to review all uses of automated decision systems by the federal government, according to Toronto Star. Jenny Kim of Ryookyung Kim Design According to a new University of Toronto study, the job ad is just the latest example of government replacing human decision-making with machines a trend it says is creating a laboratory for high-risk experiments that threaten migrants' human rights and should alarm all Canadians. This is not a fictional ad but a tender notice recently issued by Ottawa to explore the potential use of artificial intelligence and data analytics in Canada's immigration and refugee system. The nuanced and complex nature of many refugee and immigration claims may be lost on these technologies, leading to serious breaches of internationally and domestically protected human rights, in the form of bias, discrimination, privacy breaches, due process and procedural fairness issues, warned the 88-page report being released Wednesday by U of T's International Human Rights Program and Citizen Lab. Article Continued Below Concerned about the human impact of automated systems, researchers dug into public records such as public statements, policies and media reports of the federal government's adoption of the technologies in the immigration system. These systems will have life-and-death ramifications for ordinary people, many of whom are fleeing for their lives. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

baseball cap: This is happening worldwide, according to Vancouver Courier. Lee, who dressed all in black and donned a baseball cap, encouraged people to reject such movements, which he said seek to use immigrants as scapegoats for society's ills. While Lee has nothing but scathing criticism for U.S. President Donald Trump whom he refers to only as Agent Orange he told a Montreal audience that the phenomenon is a global one.article continues below Trending Stories'Bella Dolls' Is Vancouver ready for a sex doll brothel 'Crazy ride home' Woman yells death threats in West Vancouver bus fight Man rides horse through Metro Vancouver liquor store drive-thru Money laundering accusations are a raw deal, casinos say The one thing I hope when people see this film is that they don't make the mistake of thinking this rise of the right is just a specific thing that's happening in the United States of America, he said. We have to be smarter as a people and not go for that old divide-and-conquer stuff, he said as he held court at an Old Montreal hotel. Blac KkKlansman stars John David Washington as Ron Stallworth, a real-life black police detective who infiltrated a Ku Klux Klan cell in Colorado in the 1970s with the help of a white partner. Lee made the comments at the Montreal International Black Film Festival, where he held a wide-ranging discussion on filmmaking, politics and the recent box-office success of movies featuring black directors and stars. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cancer treatment: The report's authors point to AI's problematic track record when it comes to gender and race, specifically in predictive policing that has seen certain groups over-policed, according to Vancouver Courier. HOMELESS CANCER PATIENT SAYS HE WAS DENIED TREATMENTThe plight of a homeless B.C. man who says he was told he couldn't get cancer treatment while living in temporary housing highlights the difficulties homeless people face while recovering from illness, health and housing advocates say. The use of automated decision-making involving immigration applications could lead to life-and-death ramifications for immigrants and asylum-seekers, according to the research from the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab. Terry Willis says his doctor told him he can't fight non-Hodgkin lymphoma while living in the Johnson Street Community building for homeless people because it's not a suitable recovery environment. It's unclear whether this means Willis will be able to receive chemo, but advocates said that regardless, Willis's health situation reveals gaps in services available to vulnerable people who require places to live that will allow them to recover from serious health issues. But Island Health and the B.C. Cancer Agency both took the position that the building is suitable for chemo patients. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration applications: We know that the government is experimenting with the use of these technologies ... but it's clear that without appropriate safeguards and oversight mechanisms, using A.I. in immigration and refugee determinations is very risky because the impact on people's lives are quite real, said Petra Molnar, one of the authors of the report, according to Vancouver Courier. A.I. is not neutral. The research, conducted by the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab outlines the impacts of automated decision-making involving immigration applications and how errors and assumptions within the technology could lead to life-and-death ramifications for immigrants and refugees.article continues below Trending Stories Richmond's off-street prostitution rings highlighted by deportation case Fentanyl dealer says demand for deadly drug is driving Vancouver market The authors of the report issue a list of seven recommendations calling for greater transparency and public reporting and oversight on government's use of artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to automate certain activities involving immigrant and visitor applications. It's kind of like a recipe and if your recipe is biased, the decision that the algorithm will make is also biased and difficult to challenge. Mathieu Genest, a spokesman for Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen, says the analytics program helps officers triage online visa applications to process routine cases more efficiently. Earlier this year, federal officials launched two pilot projects to have an A.I. system sort through temporary resident visa applications from China and India. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

m.i.a .,: Enter to win 2 tickets to see M.I.A's new documentary, MATANGI/MAYA/M.I.A., in Canadian theatres this October! You and a friend are invited to see the film at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, starting October 5th, according to NOW Magazine. Sponsored By Elevation Pictures a Rafflecopter giveaway Contest Ends October 2nd Assembling countless hours of M.I.A.'s own recordings alongside interviews and performances, director and lifelong friend Steve Loveridge chronicles her evolution from refugee immigrant to music star in an exhilarating mash-up that showcases the many sides of a polarizing and fascinating pop culture figure. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

nicolas maduro: It was Parliament that granted her honorary citizenship, and that's a conversation that we certainly could have, according to National Observer. Trudeau on repealing Aung San Suu Kyi's Canadian citizenship Rohingya The move Canada's first referral to the court and the first time member nations have referred a fellow member state comes as Venezuela spirals ever deeper into a worsening economic and political morass. Canada joined a group of South American nations in formally referring the Venezuelan government of Nicolas Maduro to the Hague-based International Criminal Court, a move aimed at placing the socialist regime under investigation for alleged crimes against humanity. Along with Trudeau, the Latin American countries of Peru, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Paraguay signed the referral on the very day that Maduro himself made a surprise arrival at the UN to deliver a scheduled speech not many expected him to show up for. ; The situation in Venezuela is catastrophic, Trudeau told a news conference at the UN. There is a humanitarian crisis going on in a country that used to be one of the most successful and prosperous countries in South America. Bolton, famously dismissive of the court during his time as UN ambassador in the administration of George W. Bush, has been pushing for sanctions against the body, which he considers illegitimate. The failure of leadership in Venezuela is of concern not just to us, but to leaders in the region, friends to Venezuela and of concern to the world. 'Looking for ways to help the Venezuelan people'The move also provides a shot in the arm to the court, which has come under heavy criticism from the U.S. in recent weeks in particular from national security adviser John Bolton, upset over an ICC investigation of alleged American war crimes in Afghanistan. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

countries: Nations hosting millions of refugees from their neighbours said they had been let down by the world's richest countries and were facing serious problems as a result, according to Toronto Star. U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the 73rd session of the General Assembly at the United Nations in New York on Tuesday. Two years later, the optimism born of that summit has been replaced by bitterness and uncertainty as the number of refugees worldwide has soared and far fewer are being resettled in other countries. TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP/GETTY IMAGES Unfortunately, the heavy burden of humanitarian consequences of the Syrian crisis has been left on Turkey's shoulders, said Turkish Foreign Minister Mehmet Cavusoglu, estimating that his country has spent 32 billion feeding, sheltering and educating refugees. Our calls for more burden and responsibility sharing fell on deaf ears. Commitments have not been fulfilled. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian citizens: My father had a job immediately after arriving, and raised himself within his industry through hard work and an unquestioning loyalty to Canada, according to Toronto Star. My mother and father did volunteer work for decades after retiring. My brother and I recall little of the journey across the ocean by ship. We, their children, always valued their work ethic and took huge pride in being Canadian citizens. It is with this spirit that I encourage the government to revoke the honorary citizenship of Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar. Most immigrants feel this way, and share a love of this great country. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

lofven: Lawmakers voted 204-142 against Lofven, according to CTV. Three lawmakers were absent, so did not vote. Stefan Lofven, the leader of the Social Democratic Party who has been prime minister for four years, will continue in a caretaker role until a new Swedish government can be formed that has the command of the Riksdagen, the national parliament. The vote was mandatory after the Sept. 9 general election delivered a hung parliament. Both main political blocs in the parliament have refused to co-operate with the anti-immigrant Sweden Democrats party, which made great strides in the election. Although Lofven remains optimistic that he may be eventually able to form a government, the vote means that Sweden faces weeks of political uncertainty. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

september attacks: The Globe and Mail has explained, The Safe Third Country Agreement between Canada and the United States, signed in the wake of the September 11 attacks, means that with few exceptions, refugee claimants must make their claim in the first safe country they arrive in, according to Rabble. That means virtually all asylum seekers attempting to enter Canada through a U.S. port of entry will be turned away. Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction Minister Bill Blair and United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen could soon begin discussions to renegotiate the Canada-US Safe Third Country Agreement. But significantly the article adds that because Canada is a signatory of the United Nations' 1951 Refugee Convention, asylum seekers entering the country between border points are not automatically deported and may make asylum claims. The Canada Border Services Agency says that 32,173 people crossed the border into Canada from the U.S. irregularly between April 2017 and August 2018. In other words, the agreement, reached by then-Liberal prime minister Paul Martin and then-U.S. president George W. Bush, does not cover asylum-seekers who cross through unguarded sections of the Canada-U.S. border. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.